The Hostage

Detroit: Become Human Chapters

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For the full transcript of this chapter, click here.

The Hostage is the first chapter of Detroit: Become Human. This chapter has six different outcomes. On PlayStation 4, it was released as a free demo on April 24, 2018 worldwide.

Overview[]

This chapter is from the perspective of Connor involving a deviant android named Daniel who takes Emma Phillips hostage after murdering her father John Phillips.

Flowchart[]

This is the flowchart walkthrough for The Hostage, with 100% completion rate and all checkpoints. To the right is a video showing the in-game flowchart, while below is a text version for ease of use. With each clue discovered, it appears the success probability of Connor's mission goes up, but taking too much time to do so will erode that probability.

Mission start (checkpoint)
- Save fish OR Leave fish (side option)
Talk to Capt. Allen
Search for Clues
- Investigate father's body - located in the living room
  - Learn cause of incident - this is done by reconstructing the scene of the father's death and discovering his tablet
- Learn deviant's name - this can be discovered by going into Emma's room and using the tablet to watch a video of them together
- Investigate gun case - this can be located in the same room as the SWAT team, on the floor. Analysis reveals the missing weapon to be an MS853 Black Hawk handgun. The bullets are lying nearby
- Investigate cop's body - Antony Deckart can be found in the dining room
  - Take cop's gun OR Leave cop's gun - the gun is under the dining room table and can be found by reconstructing the scene
- SWAT injured - 140 seconds or later after entering the living room, enter an area where Daniel can see you through the window.
Go outside (by choice) OR Wasted too much time (triggers 5 minutes after talking to Captain Allen)
Confront deviant outside (checkpoint)
Negotiate with deviant
- Friendly approach OR Cold approach
- Refuse to dismiss helicopter OR Dismiss helicopter
- Leave wounded cop OR Save wounded cop
- Be honest about gun OR Lie about gun - if gun was taken
- Get Close Enough - walk into the space between the furthest patio table and the cop in the pool
- Fail to negotiate - reach 10% or less Probability of Success, choose "MOVE CLOSER", or choose "REFUSE"
  - Deviant jumps with Emma
    - Connor failed to reach deviant in time (not possible on "casual" difficulty)
    - Connor leapt for Emma and fell
- Be honest with deviant - choose "TRUTH"
  - Deviant jumps with Emma
    - Connor failed to reach deviant in time (not possible on "casual" difficulty)
    - Connor leapt for Emma and fell
- Lie to deviant - choose "REASSURE"
  - Fail to build trust (requires "Reassure" and 79% or lower Probability of Success) OR Build trust (requires "Reassure" and 80% or higher Probability of Success)
    1. Deviant jumps with Emma
      - Connor failed to reach deviant in time (not possible on "casual" difficulty)
      - Connor leapt for Emma and fell
    2. Snipers shot deviant
- Sacrifice self (option only available if GET CLOSE ENOUGH unlocked)
  - Connor died protecting Emma
- Use gun (option only available if both LIE ABOUT GUN and GET CLOSE ENOUGH unlocked)
  - Deviant shot Connor
  - Connor shot deviant

Cross-chapter impacts[]

Save cop on terrace
- He appears in Public Enemy and thanks Connor.
Connor dies
- The serial number on his jacket changes in Partners and his gravestone appears in Waiting for Hank...
- If Connor saved the cop on the terrace, He won't remember about him and the cop later explains about his death.
Connor fails to save Emma
- Connor has the option to tell the truth or lie to Hank in The Nest

Description[]

The chapter opens with Connor in an elevator, going up to the penthouse to negotiate with an android that has become deviant.

When first walking out the elevator, he can interact with some things, Connor can make his way to a fish tank and kneel next to a fish that is dying on the floor. He can leave it there or save it - this is the first choice that affects Connor's Software Instability, he can also examine the damaged fish tank (if Dewey was saved he'll be seen swimming with the other fish), and pick up a family photo, once finished, Connor walks further in, Caroline Phillips comes across the negotiator (Connor) and begs him to save her daughter. After realizing that Connor is an android, she becomes anxious and questions the police on why they didn't send a human negotiator. Caroline is then taken to the elevator by a SWAT officer while she begs them not to let Connor near Emma. Shortly after she leaves, Connor may walk into the crime scene.

Once at the crime scene, he can only go to see Captain Allen, though he may attempt to go into the living room or Emma's room before doing so but thinks better of it, while waiting Allen will start complaining, while waiting, Connor can overhear one of the soldiers mentioning having a PL600 model at home. After waiting, he will meet with Allen, he must choose from two conversation points before doing anything else, he can choose from four different questions.

If Connor asks about any ideas on the deviant's identity or behavior, Allen will reply that he doesn't know and ask why it matters, to which Connor will respond that he needs additional information to determine his best approach.
If Connor asks about the deviant's deactivation code, Allen answers that it's the first thing they attempted.

Connor can then ask another one of these questions begIn order to get a good percentage for success, he has to be fast in reconstructing the incident and understanding what caused it.

Connor begins looking around for clues. In the background, Daniel can heard yelling. Connor may interact with the balcony door early.

If Connor attempts to leave before examining anything giving Connor the choice to leave early or keep poking around.

Connor may examine a gun case, if he does so, he will learn that deviant stole a pistol from it. Additional comments can be heard from Allen or Daniel periodically, a soldier can also notice a wounded cop barely alive. If Connor peeks through the window he will learn the whereabouts of the hostage.

If enough time passes, a soldier will get shot in the stomach, but is unfazed by the shot.
- He may block the soldiers when they rush to rest. He may also check on the wounded soldier to learn that he'll be fine.

Connor can make some other small interactions.

Peek into the bathroom but not explore it.
Block a path.
Read a manual magazine cover.
Turn off the stove.
Stand idle in the kitchen and/or somewhere else.
Stand in the way of a soldier which will serve to agitate them.
Read a sign.
Examine a buddha statue.
Examine Daniel's blood.
Move a chair.
Exit when examining a cop's corpse, which will result in Connor looking up at ceiling windows where a helicopter hovers over.
Examine Emma's shoe.
Pick up headphones.

By the sofa is a body; examine it by hovering over the victim's face and chest, then reconstruct the situation to find out he was holding a tablet.

If Connor picks it up from the ground and he will find out he had just purchased a new android, unlocking dialogue. Next, go to the body of the first responder by the table. Examine it to find out where his gun is, and optionally interact the gun, doing so will give him a choice to leave it or conceal it. Connor will go to the hostage's room, the first on the right when coming back the way you entered.

If Connor plays the video on the table, he will learn the relationship of the deviant and the hostage while also learning the identity of the deviant whose name is revealed to be "Daniel".

Connor can optionally pick up the headphones (not necessary since it doesn't unlock more dialogue), then leave to the living room.

Now you can go out; you have everything you need. The deviant shoots Connor, and Connor's mission updates; approach slowly and gain trust. Connor will introduce himself, his dialogue when doing so will be determined by whether or not he learned Daniel's name, if he saw the video, he'll say hello to him referring to the deviant by his name much to Daniel's confusion, if he didn't, he'll introduce himself and ask for the deviant's name to which he complies. The success percentage will always slightly drop upon the beginning of the negotiation. Upon approaching Daniel, Connor may move a chair with his hand or a table with his foot depending on where he starts said approach, he may then notice a wounded cop asking for help, when approaching Daniel, he can try to empathize with him, antagonize Daniel, try to calm him down or reassure him. If Connor concealed the gun, Daniel will ask him if he's armed, Connor may lie or tell the truth.

If he lies, Daniel will not believe him though Connor will insist he's unarmed, he'll keep the gun secret from Daniel.

If he's honest, Daniel will tell him to drop it to which Connor agrees to do so, increasing the chance of success.

Connor can examine a wounded cop named Miles Wilson, he is located by the left side of the balcony, right next to the railing, he'll notice he's badly injured, if Daniel is still talking, Connor will look at Daniel for a few seconds then focus on the cop again, he'll tell Daniel that he's dying to which the deviant disregards this, Connor will attempt to save him only to almost be shot doing so, Daniel will threaten to kill Connor if he helps the cop, Connor may obey or disregard Daniel.

If Connor complies, he will leave the cop to bleed out, which will slightly increase Daniel's trust.

If Connor disregards Daniel's threats, he will save the cop, which will slightly decrease the deviant's trust but improve the public opinion.

Connor can then look at a sniper, a corpse in the pool and a helicopter. Connor can also get close to Daniel. Use the dialogue you have unlocked to gain his trust, and use a calm tone (calming dialogue options) when there is no unlocked dialogue left. Connor may mention Daniel's replacement (if he is close to Daniel a brief flashback will occur), he may mention his relationship with Emma, be blunt or antagonistic towards Daniel, sympathize with him, and try to reassure Emma (if he didn't learn Daniel's name). If the negotiation continues, Daniel will demand Connor send the helicopter away, to which he may agree or refuse.

If Connor agrees, he'll signal the SWAT to leave to which they do so being reassured which will increase Daniel's trust.

If Connor refuses, Daniel will panic a little but it will have no major consequence.

From this point the negotiation may fail or continue.

If the negotiation fails, Daniel will attempt to jump off the building with Emma, Connor tries to catch up and rush to her rescue.

- If the player is on Casual Difficulty, Connor will automatically rescue Emma.
- If the success percentage is at zero, Emma will ultimately die.
- If Connor catches up, he'll pull Emma free and fall with Daniel to his death, Allen looks down and then leaves a traumatized Emma.
- If Connor isn't quick enough, he'll fail his attempt to grab Emma and is forced to watch her die, he leaves having failed the mission.

If the negotiation continues, Connor may warn him, ask for trust or call his bluff.

- If Connor calls his bluff, he'll attempt to move closer causing Daniel to threaten to jump, Connor may move closer which will lead to failing the negotiation or back away continuing the negotiation.
- If Connor says anything else or backs away, Daniel will ask for a car, Connor can refuse, compromise, sacrifice himself or use his gun (if he has it and is close to Daniel).
  - If Connor sacrifices himself, he'll push Daniel and get shot in the back, which will traumatize Emma.
  - If he refuses, the negotiation will fail.
  - If he uses his gun he may execute or threaten Daniel.
    - If he executes Daniel, he'll pull out his pistol and shoot him in the head, he'll then unload the gun and hand it to Allen.
    - If he threatens Daniel, he'll draw his gun, which will provoke Daniel, Connor will have another chance to shoot him or try to convince him.
      - If he shoots him, it will play out almost the same but instead he just holds the gun whilst shooting.
      - If he tries to persuade the deviant, Daniel will shoot him in the head, then in guilt will jump off with Emma.
  - If Connor tries to compromise, he'll explain that giving him a car is impossible but will reassure him that he will be fine if he spares Emma. Daniel will admit fear, to which Connor will have another chance to shoot, or push Daniel, tell the truth or reassure Daniel.
    - If Connor is truthful the negotiation will fail.
    - If Connor is reassuring, Daniel will either trust or distrust Connor depending on his trust towards him.
      - If the success percentage is low, Daniel will distrust Connor and jump.
      - If the success percentage is normal/high, the percentage will increase by 100% and Daniel will trust Connor and let Emma go, the sniper will then shoot Daniel, which causes Daniel to resent Connor.

Afterwards the negotiation ends and Connor either shuts down or leaves.

Probability Of Success[]

Depending on camera angles, the anchor point for PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS updates may be offscreen. If this is the case, the modifier display will be delayed until you next trigger a modifier, at which point the net change will be displayed instead.

Initial after talking to Captain Allen 48%
Waiting 20 seconds -1% (stacks up to -15%)
Analyzing the gun case +3%
Observing the dead father +3%
Learning that Daniel was going to be replaced +7%
Learning about the cop’s gun +3%
Taking the gun +7%
Analyzing Daniel’s blue blood +3%
Examining Emma’s shoe +3%
Listening to the headphones +3%
Learning Daniel’s name +7%
Helicopter approaches -15% (unavoidable)
Choosing "CALM" +3%
Choosing "RELEASE HOSTAGE" -2%
Choosing "REASSURE DANIEL" +3%
Choosing "EMPATHIZE" -2%
Being honest about the gun +6%
Obeying Daniel’s order to leave the cop +6%
Saving the cop -5%
Choosing "EMMA AND YOU" +10%
Choosing "POSSIBLE CAUSE" +10%
Choosing "REALISTIC" -2%
Choosing "DEFECTIVE" -5%
Choosing "BLAMING" -5%
Choosing "SYMPATHETIC" +6%
Dismissing the helicopter +10%
Choosing "LAST CHANCE" -8%
Choosing "TRUST" +6%
Choosing "RATIONAL" -8%
Choosing "COMPROMISE" +6%
Choosing "REFUSE" -20%
Choosing "REASSURE" +6%
Choosing "TRUTH" -20%
There is a maximum of 99% PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS until "REASSURE". If the PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS is 80% or higher after REASSURE, it will instead immediately raise to 100%.
If you reach 10% PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS or lower, the probability will instead immediately drop to 0%, FAIL TO NEGOTIATE will trigger, and Daniel will jump.

Friendly Approach vs Cold Approach[]

Several dialogue options apply a hidden Cold Approach modifier. If the Cold Approach modifier is 100% or higher at the end of the chapter, the Cold Approach node will be triggered; otherwise, the Friendly Approach node will be triggered.

Choosing "RELEASE HOSTAGE" +100%
Choosing "REALISTIC" +50%
Choosing "BLAMING" +50%
Choosing "SYMPATHETIC" -50%
Choosing "LAST CHANCE" +50%
Choosing "TRUST" -50%
Choosing "BLUFF" +50%
Choosing "RATIONAL" +50%
Choosing "REASSURE" -50%

Software Instability[]

Save Fish
Connor fails to rescue Emma but lives
Connor shoots Daniel
Connor tricks Daniel
Connor falls off the edge
Connor gets shot in the back saving Emma
Both Connor and Emma die x2

Public Opinion[]

Applying a tourniquet to the wounded cop on the terrace

Notes[]

In one of his livestreams, Bryan Dechart stated that both he and Ben Lambert filmed their scenes separately and have never actually met.
As this chapter is primarily intended to help players familiarize themselves with the controls and the gameplay, having Connor die or fail to save the girl has little bearing on the rest of the game.
Connor playing with the coin that has "Liberty" on it could be alluring to how, in his position, he basically plays with the fates of other entities.
There are several things that Connor can do with little to no story impact:
- Connor can briefly look at the bathroom.
- Attempting to explore the living room or bedroom before speaking to Captain Allen.
- Putting a chair by the dead cop in place.
- Meeting a soldier pointing him in the direction of Captain Allen.
- Turning on coverage of the incident from the TV on the fridge.
- Witnessing an additional view at the terrace from a window on the living room.
- Looking at the damaged fish tank.
- Looking at the family photo in the front hall.
- Observing the Buddha statue.
- Glancing at the cover of a magazine on the kitchen counter.
- Putting his hand on the counter.
- Touching the side of the door frame to Emma's room.
- Looking at the card on Emma's table that reads If You Love the Life You Live, You Will Live a Life of Love;
- Pushing a chair out of the way while outside.
- Looking at a SWAT officer in the pool, the snipers on the roof and a sniper in a helicopter on the terrace.
Normally, when Connor asks Allen any question, the reply is often the same with him saying "I haven't got a clue, does it matter?" and Connor saying "I need information to determine the best approach.". However, if he asks about Daniel's deactivation code, Allen will say "It's the first thing we tried.".
If Connor switches off the over-boiled pot on the kitchen, he will learn that the Philips were going to have dinner when the incident happened.
Listening to the headphones that Emma was using earlier will prompt Connor to conclude that the child didn't hear the shooting.
If Connor stands in the way of the injured soldier, the soldiers will budge past Connor.
It is possible to analyze Daniel’s blue blood on the floor near the exit to the terrace.
Connor can look at one of Emma's discarded shoes and learn that the child might be wounded.
The news mention that the SWAT are preparing an assault and that it's been over an hour since Daniel took the hostage.
If one of the SWAT soldiers is injured, one of his friends will check up on him.
One of the soldiers can mention that he too has an PL600 model.
If "Exit" is pressed before finding all clues with the dead cop, a cutscene of Connor looking up at the window ceiling observing a helicopter will play out.
If Connor stands in the way of one of the soldiers, they'll yell at him and tell him to move.
If Connor stands still, a soldier will urge him to stop stalling.
Daniel yells at the soldiers as time passes.
If Connor wastes enough time, Captain Allen will shout at him and force the android to go outside, making it impossible to examine any remaining clues.
If Connor doesn't look at the tablet in Emma's room before confronting the deviant, he will introduce himself and ask Daniel his name, with him telling him.
If Connor looks at the wounded cop on the terrace, a side objective will appear saying to give him medical treatment as he cries for help.
Connor can talk with Daniel whilst examining the cop's wound.
Connor can interact with the cop before or after Daniel asks him about the gun.
If Connor uses the tourniquet on the wounded cop, his iconic tie will be used for the injuries and will be absent from Connor's outfit for the rest of the chapter.
If Connor did not inspect Emma's and John's tablets, unlocking both of their dialogue options, an option to "TALK TO HOSTAGE" will be available; doing so will result in Connor reassuring Emma as she panics, whilst Daniel shows remorse.
If Connor chooses to bluff Daniel, the deviant will threaten to jump, and Connor will have a choice to "MOVE CLOSER" or "GIVE UP".
The "BLUFF" and "SACRIFICE SELF" options are only available if Connor is close enough to Daniel.
The node 'FAIL TO NEGOTIATE' can be unlocked by reaching 10% or lower PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS, by choosing "MOVE CLOSER" when bluffing Daniel, or by choosing “REFUSE” when Daniel asks for a car.
Choosing "TRUTH" at any point also leads to Daniel jumping off the roof.
The "USE GUN" option is only available at a close distance to Daniel and if Connor kept the gun.
If Connor uses the gun and chooses "EXECUTE", he will outright pull out the gun and shoot Daniel, but if he chooses "INTIMIDATE" and then "SHOOT", the same outcome will occur but instead Connor will simply hold the gun and shoot the deviant.
If Connor shoots Daniel, he will hand his gun to Captain Allen after the deviant falls off the building.
The fish's name is Dewey and he is Emma's favorite pet.^[1]
In Emma's bedroom, there is an Easter egg in the form of a book on the table. The title and cover of the book are taken from Beyond: Two Souls, the previous game of Quantic Dream.
In Last Chance, Connor, Daniel reacts differently depending on what you did if activated in the evidence room. If Connor successfully tricked Daniel, the deviant gets angry and bitterly accuses Connor of lying to him, but if Connor got shot by Daniel, he’ll panic and apologize to Connor.
- When Connor questions Daniel about Jericho, if he saved Emma, Daniel will aggressively deny knowing anything about the place before he curses Connor for causing his death. However, if Connor failed to save Emma (regardless of his survival), Daniel will say in a sincere tone he doesn't know anything about Jericho.
If Connor directly heads straight for the terrace after talking with Captain Allen without analyzing any information, he will look back inside and be prompted with the options "GO OUT" and "KEEP INVESTIGATING".
When Connor gets close enough to Daniel, if the player chooses "POSSIBLE CAUSE" and having investigated John's tablet, a flashback of the tablet's message will be displayed. If Connor doesn't get close enough before choosing this option, the flashback will not be displayed and will directly jump to Daniel's lamentation.

Behind the scenes[]

There are several visual factors that enhance the story without player input:
There are glass shards on the floor that Connor can walk on, being to possible to also hear the sounds of the glass pressing down.
Connor can walk past the police corpse, with a small animation of him stepping over the body playing when doing so.
One of the soldiers will take out ammo.
Connor can step over Emma's shoe.
Soldiers will put their guns down when Connor is facing them.
Steam emanates from the pot on the kitchen, as some drops descending across its lid.
Daniel occasionally shoots at the soldiers as time passes by, with Captain Allen ducking.
Connor’s clothes will get blown by the wind once in the terrace.
As Connor approaches the wounded cop, he’ll slowly creep down.
While on the terrace, if Connor approaches Daniel from the far left, he will grab a chair and pull it behind him to move it out of his way. Alternatively, if he approaches the deviant from the far right, he will push a table with his foot.
One of the buildings visible from the terrace has a fully animated office.
Every car on the city is fully modeled and textured.
The cop in the pool is fully modeled and has a completely animated face.
There is a fully modeled blimp.
One of the helicopters has a fully modeled interior, with a soldier present inside.
The soldiers have modeled faces under their helmets.

Unused Content[]

Like in the concept art of this chapter, the hostage scene was entirely set in daylight. It was changed to night time at the last minute because developers thought it looked cooler.^[2]
Caroline originally didn’t get escorted, with Connor having the option of analyzing her and find bruises on her.
Early concept art suggests that at one point normal cops were supposed to appear at the scene instead of the SWAT soldiers. Though it is unclear as Captain Allen seems to have been added early.
Originally, there was a sequence where Connor investigated the bathroom for clues in this chapter. It was scrapped because the majority of test players didn’t even notice the bathroom to start.^[3]
In the demo, Connor's serial number was originally #687 899 150 but it was later changed to #313 248 317-51 by Bryan Dechart himself as 313 is the Detroit area code, 248 is his home area code (Novi, Michigan), 317 is his birthday (March 17th), 5 is the amount of people in his family and 1 due to it being the first Connor that is present on this chapter.
Daniel was originally a VS400 model, meant to resemble the Irish actor Jos Vantyler. However, he was later changed to a PL600 model as well as his appearance once Ben Lambert took the role; the model was later used for an android that Markus can convert in Freedom March.
Some early concept art show some ideas for Connor’s clothes and for a scene of unused art of helicopter footage.
There are unused rifle models as well as an unused object that seems to be a magazine or a tablet present in the game files.
There are several things that changed in comparison to the final version of the game:
There are various unused interactions in the game shown in concept art.
- From blood on glass, bloody rug, a broken window, glass shard, bloody glass, blood on the walls, a fallen fork, an empty gun, blood on the couch, blood on a pillow, blood under the couch, a magazine, messed up blankets, blood on blanket, tipped chair, unadjusted chair, tipped coatrack, fallen picture frame, black pillow tossed, broken vase, tipped metal thing, blood on the floor, steaming pot, broken lightbulb, toy, table, blood on the table, glass shards on the table, food and wine, a corpse on the chair and a corpse by the bed.
The lighting in the chapter was a lot more saturated but was later on given a blueish look to match more with Connor’s theme.
Emma originally wore a minty green t-shirt.
Connor could originally scan everyone in the room.
- The soldiers were intended to have lower poly eyes.
Originally Connor could have obtained a radio, which he could later use to signal the army.
There’s unused dialogue of Emma begging for mercy.
If Connor successfully tricked Daniel, the deviant's voice originally would have increasingly deepened, when saying "You lied to me, Connor. You lied to me" before shutting down.
There is unused audio of Caroline crying which would occur if Emma died.
- This because at the time she was still written to be present, as her role in the chapter was changed, this dialogue was cut.
Connor originally had the option of warning Daniel to surrender.
If Connor found the radio, he could signal the army to open fire or cancel the idea, likely leading to the last two endings mentioned below.
Some files refer to a choice labeled "Push Android" likely as opposed to "Sacrifice Self", Connor would have pushed Daniel off the building but wouldn't have been shot in the back as Daniel falls.
There is also a choice labeled as "Protect Emma" likely leading to the radio choice.
There are a few unused endings which didn't make into the final chapter.
- If Connor threatened Daniel by using the gun, Connor could have the choice to shoot the deviant in the shoulder or aim for his head.
- Connor would be able charge Daniel which would give him the choice of grabbing Emma or grabbing Daniel's gun instead.
A trailer shows Connor deactivating his own skin. This is never seen in the actual game.

References[]

CHAPTERS

[1] Detroit: Become Human Demo CyberLife Skill

[2] Bryan Dechart's Twitch Mod & Community Manager's Twitter

[3] Bryan Dechart's Twitch Mod & Community Manager's Twitter

[1]

[2]

[3]